This invention relates to children's swings, especially battery-operated swings for infants.
Swings for children are well-known, and range from a simple used automobile tire suspended from a tree branch to much more sophistocated models. Non-electric swings have been patented in the United States, as well as a number of AC motor-operated swings. However, AC motor-operated swings are undesirable for children's use for a number of reasons. Because they operate off a standard AC line, they involve higher voltages than are desirable where children are concerned. Furthermore, being AC driven, such a swing requires line cords, which limit its portability and present hazards to children running or walking in the vicinity. Moreover, the use of an AC motor sufficient to drive the swing adds considerable weight to the item, thereby increasing its manufacturing and shipping costs and making it generally inconvenient to handle. The use of an AC motor does not lend itself well to sales of the item in "knock-down" form, where the item is sold for ultimate assembly in the home by the consumer. Thus, there is a real need for children's swings which are battery-operated and which operate at low voltages and are therefore lighter in weight and safer for children's use.
It is also desireable to provide a child's swing which is resistant to damage inflicted upon it intentionally or inadvertently by its young users. If the swing drive is rigidly coupled to the carriage, stoppage of the motor (for example, due to battery failure) while the carriage is swinging, or, conversely, stoppage of the carriage while the motor is still energized, will put a severe strain on the linkage between the drive motor and the carriage, more often than not causing the moter to stall and burn out. When this happens, the swing is virtually useless to the consumer, since the cost of repair can be almost as great as the cost of a new swing, or since such swings are so constructed as to be almost impossible to repair.
Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to eliminate these drawbacks by providing a battery-operated child's swing which operates at low voltages, is simpler in construction than comparable swings, utilizes a very inexpensive small DC motor to drive the swing, is not disturbed by stoppage of the swing or the motor, does not require electric wires, and is not easily damaged by intentional or unintentional abuse from its young users.